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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · fine · cabinet · lash · hand · mate · stock · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stock — shares
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stock — goods
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hand — help
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com